Bill Text: NJ ACR120 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Amends Joint Rule 42 to provide greater transparency and collective decision-making in the preparation of the annual appropriations bill.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-03-16 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Budget Committee [ACR120 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-ACR120-Introduced.html
ASSEMBLY CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 120
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED MARCH 16, 2010
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman JOHN DIMAIO
District 23 (Warren and Hunterdon)
SYNOPSIS
Amends Joint Rule 42 to provide greater transparency and collective decision-making in the preparation of the annual appropriations bill.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Concurrent Resolution amending Joint Rule 42.
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey (the Senate concurring):
1. Joint Rule 42 is amended to read as follows:
42. a. The chair of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee and the chair of the Assembly Budget Committee shall, during their respective committee deliberations on the subject of the Governor's budget recommendations transmitted to the Legislature for the ensuing State fiscal year, [and at least 14 calendar days before the House shall pass an annual appropriations bill, accept resolutions] consider resolutions made by members of either House and the State Treasurer that propose to add, delete or otherwise change revenues, line-items or language provisions in the Governor's budget recommendations, which resolutions shall be filed in writing with either committee [and], shall be identified by the sponsor or sponsors and shall be available to the public. The sponsor or sponsors of a budget resolution shall set forth in detail therein each revenue, line-item or language provision proposed to be added, deleted or changed and append thereto a statement explaining the proposed changes and the reasons therefor. The sponsor or sponsors of a budget resolution shall append thereto a personal disclosure statement indicating whether the sponsor or the sponsor's family (the member's spouse, domestic partner or civil union partner, children, parents or siblings) have any employment relationship or business relationship with, or receive any compensation from, the intended recipient of any increased funding proposed in a budget resolution. All budget resolutions shall be filed with the committees at least 14 calendar days before the respective House shall pass an annual appropriations bill, except that budget resolutions may be filed with a committee thereafter [in a manner to be determined by the Presiding Officer of each House for that House] only upon a motion approved by all the authorized members of a committee. All resolutions to be filed with either committee shall be delivered to the Legislative Budget and Finance Officer and shall be made available to the public through the Office of Legislative Services.
b. No annual appropriations bill shall be introduced in either House that contains any additions, deletions or changes in items in the Governor's budget recommendations unless the budget committee of the respective House has, at an open meeting, upon the affirmative vote of a majority of its authorized membership, approved each resolution that proposes any of those additions, deletions or changes in items in the Governor's budget recommendations.
c. The annual appropriations bill that shall pass both Houses shall contain only items proposed in the Governor's budget recommendations and items in budget resolutions filed pursuant to this Joint Rule.
[b] d. Nothing in this Joint Rule shall preclude the [Presiding Officer of either House] budget committee of the respective House, at an open meeting, upon the affirmative vote of a majority of its authorized membership, from adopting limitations that are more restrictive than the procedures set forth in this Joint Rule or requiring additional information be included in resolutions filed in their respective House.
2. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This concurrent resolution amends Joint Rule 42 to provide greater transparency and collective decision-making in the preparation of the annual appropriations bill.
The resolution requires that no annual appropriation bill be introduced which includes a change to the Governor's recommendations unless that change, offered through a budget resolution, has been approved by the respective budget committee through an affirmative vote in an open meeting.
The resolution also transfers the authority, from the presiding officer of either House to the respective budget committee, for (1) granting reprieves from the budget resolution filing deadline; and (2) adopting procedural limitations more restrictive than Joint Rule 42. The committees may proceed with such a reprieve or enhanced procedural limitation by an affirmative vote in an open meeting.
Additionally, the resolution adds language to Joint Rule 42 to emphasize that budget resolutions shall be submitted in writing, be considered by the committees and be available to the public.
